Harness.



E. B. HYDE.

HARNESS.

APPLIOATION FILED 15110.23, 1910.

1 ,002,6'96. Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

3fm/vento@ Emory Hyde.

'l' l l @treme/1,

COLUMBIA DLANOGRAPM Co,.w/\sHXNGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EIVIORY B. HYDE, OF :DE SOTO, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JOI-IN W. THAYER, OF VIROQUA, WISCONSIN.

HARNESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 5, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMORY B. HYDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Soto, in the county of Vernon and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Harness, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for expeditiously and securely attaching an animal to a vehicle and for quickly detaching the animal from a vehicle.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which is simple in construction, which dispenses with a number of parts of a harness, and which will perform the funct-ions for which it is intended with ease and with accuracy.

With the above, and other objects in view which will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement, it being understood, however, that the showing therein is merely illustrative and that changes in the minor details of construction may be resorted to if desired.

In the drawings: Figure l is a view of a harnessed horse and the shaft of a vehicle, the horse being attached to the vehicle through the medium of my improved combination fixture. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of the improved fixture. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a vehicle thill provided `with the securing ring or member employed with the combination. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the fixture. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a still further modified form of the fixture.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral l designatesa shaft or thill of a vehicle. The vehicle thills are provided with the usual swingletree 2, and securely connected, in any desired manner, with the ends of the swingletrees are the longitudinally extending straps or tugs 3, one of which being illustrated in the drawings. The straps 3 may be constructed of any desired material, such as leather, iron, steel etc., and these straps are adapted to extend from the swingletree in a plane substantially parallel with the thills of the vehicle and to terminate a suitable distance away from the front ends thereof. The straps or tugs are each provided with what may be termed a collar or ring member 4, and each of said collars or rings is loosely connected with the shaft through the medium of what I term a holdback member 5. This hold-back member is preferably constructed in the form of a strap, the same being passed through a suit-- able bail or the like provided upon the outer face of the thill, though I do not desire to limit myself to this precise means of securing the said straps to the thill. The holdback member 5 is adapted to limit the movement of the tug so as to compensate for the' swinging of the swingletree 2.

The numeral 6 designates what I term a' securing or combination plate. This plate is preferably constructed of metal, and is also preferably either of a square or rectangular formation. The plate is centrally provided with a latch or projection 7. The latch or projection may be constructed in any preferred or desired manner and of any desired formation, but in the devices illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawing, the said latch is substantially L-shaped and comprises the offset portion 8, which is secured to the plate 6 and the vertical angular extension 9, which is arranged parallel with and at a distance from the plate 6. In the said figures of the drawing the member 9 of the latch or projection 7 is provided with a spring-pressed dog 10, the said dog being mounted within a suitable bore or opening l1 provided by the member 9 and being formed with an offset head or projection 12, whereby the said dog may be retracted within its bore when desired. In order to normally project the engaging face of the dog from Jthe bore 11, I have provided a helical spring 13, the latter being positioned within.

dium of an opening 14 formed between thev bore and the outerwall l5 provided by the, ldepressed or vlongitudinal cut-away portionj` 16 upon the outer face of the member 9.

In Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted that .thel dog is projected downwardly of the member 7, so that the .said `projeated portion .is ar, ranged diametrically opposite the offset or member 9, while in Fig. 5 the dog-'is extend-f edupwardly and directly opposite the offset" or meinber'f). 'The projected portion -of the dog `110has itsputer -face Arounded as clearly illustrated :in the several gures of the drawing, and whenitisdesiredito attach fthe ring or-sleeve4`to `the member 7 itis-merely necessary to insert .the same -over theatop of rthe member 9 and lby simply turning the vsaid ring sothat one of its edges is'brought finto contact with #the .'roundedportion of the dog 10, the 2latter will be .retracted within its bore ll until -the said member 4 `passes the dog. As soon as this is accomplished lthe spring 13 will-again force "the dog outwardly and :thereby edectively `and securely yretain the collar Orr-ing y4 upon the portion 8 of the FL-shaped member 17. It will be vperfec-tly apparent lwhen vthe Collar -or ring is so positioned. accidental-removal of -the same is t entirely lobviated.

Theplate 6 is 1'formed with ffour elongated openings designated respectively by the -numera'ls 17,18, 219 Aand 20. "The `openings 17 and 19 are arranged diametrically opposite each other -and at right angles to the {openings 18a-nd 20. 3It is tolbe yunderstood that -one of the :combinationV Ifixtures 6 is -posiattaclied to vthe Vehicle.

LBy hitching the member 4 to the combination-'ii-Xture, 'it willbe 4noted that when the harness straps' are attached to the plate thereof, twocomplete yand .distinct circuits oftheharness are obtained,-the said-circuits crossing peach other in the fixture, thus securing perfect harmony of action vof all parts lof the iharness A.especially employed eitherwhen an animal-ispulling'or holding back, and thereby dispensing with all straps and connections which are not supported by others and which would render ordinary harness and connections dangerously inefficient. My structure further serves to avoid any possible accident to the person hitching an animal to or unhitching an ani- Irlal from the vehicle.

`Jas heretofore stated the latch or projection of the combination fixture is not restricted to the precise structure illustrated vand heretofore described, and in Fig. 6 I ihave .illustrated one of the many modifica tions which may be employed. .In this Hgure the plate 25 4is provided with the harness openings similar to that of the plate 6. The,

latch 26, however, comprises simply an olfset or projection, the same being formed with a bore 2S lwithin which is positioned a sliding dog 29, the-said dog being normally forced voutward through the medium of a sprngBO. rThe-member 27 lis formed with an opening 31 communicating vwiththe bore 28, and this opening is adapted 'for the lreception of the projecting finger operating member 32 secured to the body of -the latch or projection. The ring or collar 38 is formed with a pocket 34 upon only one of its faces, the said pocket having its inner wall straightened and its top portlon rounded 'to correspond with the contour of the projecting face of the dog. It will be readily noted that when the said ring or collar lis placed over the member 2"( the dog 29 will readily be 'forced within the said pocket through the medium of the spring 30 and the ring or collar securely locked upon the member'28 of the plate 25.L

From the'above description, taken Ain connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be `noted ,that I have provided an extremely simpleand thoroughly effective device for quickly and securely hitching an 'animal to a vehicle; that thedevice obviates the necessity of inserting the shafts in loops or necessitating the -wrapping of the stay straps of the belly band around the shafts, and one wherein a young or fractions animal maybe attached to a'vehicle without danger to the lperson having charge of the animal.

Having thusk described the invention, what I claim Vas new is 1. In a shaft hitching device, a trace connected with the swingletree of the shafts, a hold-back connected to the shaft, a ring connected withthe hold-back and trace, and a harness securingplate provided ywith a substantially 'L-shaped latch member, and a spring-,pressed dog within the vertical arm of thesaidtlatch member adapted to engage the ring of the hold-back' and trace. I

2. In a device vforthe purpose set forth, a substantially rectangular plate, said yplate being provided adjacent each of its Qfour edges-withharness strap receiving openings, the said plate being centrally provided with an L-shaped member, a spring-pressed latch Within the Vertical portion of the L-shaped member, said latch adapted to project below the said member and to have its outer face inclined toward the plate, and a ring upon the shaft adapted to be engaged by the Said Lwshaped member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

EMORY B. HYDE.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE W. GREEN, VINA SEYMOUR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

